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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23477941">All I Ever Wanted</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/reinla/pseuds/reinla'>reinla</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>True Blood (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Multi, Other</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:20:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,535</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23477941</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/reinla/pseuds/reinla</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sookie Stackhouse is not who she pretends to be. What happens to the young woman when she is forced to come out of the coffin? Who’s her powerful father and true mate? This is an EricxSookie story.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eric Northman/Sookie Stackhouse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>73</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. So It Begins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <em>I hated the original story. I promised you all a rewrite, and here it is. Welcome to the first new chapter for All I Ever Wanted. </em></strong></p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator"/><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <span>Every story has a beginning..</span>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Her story would have been one for the ages, she was sure if anyone dared to believe it anymore. Only a select few individuals in the world even still believed in a being like her. It was one of mystery and a whole lot of speculation, not that she really cared. She knew the truth, and soon, those that loved her more than anything would also know the truth. Even though she knew that it would hurt them, they would come out of this better, she hoped. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything hinged on one crucial detail. The detail that just walked through the door of Merlotte's. It had been two years since the revelation that vampires actually existed, not that she was surprised at all. Two years of quiet solitude inside the city limits of Bon Temps, because honestly, what vampire would want to come to a backwater town like this one? </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Apparently, one wanted to. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a slow night, so it was not hard for the waitresses to see who entered and who left the bar. Normally most people who were new to the area or to the bar would wait for someone to seat them. The regulars, they just took whatever table they could. There were plenty of open booths and tables in all the sections tonight; Merlotte's hadn't started getting busy yet. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>So when the vampire walked right on in and took a seat in her section the blonde sighed. This was not how she had expected her re-emergence into the supernatural world would happen. At least not with </span>
  <i>
    <span>this</span>
  </i>
  <span>  vampire. Shaking her head, her ponytail flying, and a fake smile on her face, Sookie headed towards the gentleman that had seated himself in her section. It wasn't that she didn't want to interact with the man, far from it, she just had hoped that a different vampire would be showing up tonight. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>There would be no way for her to pawn this off on someone else. She could, sure, but then the enraged phone call that she would get would be more than enough to make her wish that she hadn't. When the person you relied on to keep you alive was one of the most revered of all, you listened. She had been told that it would be this particular vampire that would first make contact; that his appearance would signal that she needed to get back into the supernatural world and take her rightful place. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Forcing her "Crazy Sookie" smile on her face, the waitress quickly made her way over to the vampire, hoping that he would not be able to pick up on who she was. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What can I getcha?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "I'll have one of those TruBloods if you have it?" he asked with what was probably supposed to be a grimace but actually looked more like he was constipated; a state of being which was impossible for any vampire.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "No, sorry, we don't. We had a few a while back, but they went bad. You're the first vampire we've had. Can I get you anything else though?" </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "Some red wine, please? So I have an excuse to sit here." Why he looked hopeful was beyond her but who was she to say whether or not someone could stay on if they ordered something.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>While Sookie personally had never met this particular vampire before, she knew enough about him to know that the slight pushing sensation she felt in her head was his pathetic attempt to glamour her. </span>
  <i>
    <span>Keep trying asshole. Older and far more powerful vampires have tried and failed.</span>
  </i>
  <span>  Still, she nodded her head as she kept her thoughts to herself. On the one hand, Sookie was glad that the vampire's thoughts didn't register in her brain. It would be too hard to keep her calm facade if she had to hear everything he was thinking. She was even more grateful for the fact that they couldn't hear hers. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Before she had a chance to move away from the table and back towards the bar to get his order for the wine, Sookie spotted two people that she absolutely hated to think about being in in the bar. Maybe it was the oily combination of the vampire's voice and the sudden sharpness of the resident trailer trash that had her on edge. Whatever it was, Sookie was struggling to keep herself in check. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Watching as Denise and Mack Rattray leaned over the back of the booth to join in on the conversation, Sookie resisted the urge to glare and sneer. She didn't need to give away any weakness to the vampire. Hell half the town hated Denise and Mack, that was not hard to understand. As they opened their mouths, she hoped that the vampire would understand this too and want nothing to do with them. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t mind Sookie none mister, she’s crazy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be right back with your wine, don’t you go nowhere.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Turning around sharply and heading back to the bar, Sookie let out a barely audible growl. She doubted that even the vampire would hear her. It was soft enough that her father would have heard, and his progeny but not this youngling. Young vampires were cocky, and they were arrogant, but they were truly no match for the two she knew that she would have to reunite with. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Reaching the bar, Sookie rolled her eyes at Tara Thorton, who was working that night. The two women were excellent friends, and she knew the other woman's stance on vampires. Not that it mattered to Sookie. There were things she couldn't tell anyone, not even the mocha-skinned woman that she called a dear friend. No, that was part of the agreement for having her identity hidden. The alternative was to be dead so she would gladly hide away from it all. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>For years now Bon Temps had been her home, her safe haven. So far and yet so close to the one she called father, to the mate she was destined for but fighting against. It had been so remote that she hadn't expected there to be vampires, not like in Shreveport or Dallas, the larger cities. Having one here was only going to cause further problems. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "Red Wine for the vampire who would be smart to leave, and the usual for the Rats." </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "Never would have taken you for someone who didn't like vampires, Sookie." </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "Oh, I don't mind vampires none, I do, however, dislike the ones that try to manipulate me the very first time they meet me. You've heard they have that brainwashing ability." </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde was quite sure that the vampire could hear her. The noise in the bar was not that loud, and if he was paying enough attention, her entire conversation would be understood. She might be pretending to be Sookie Stackhouse, but she was not stupid when it came to the world of the supernatural. The blonde understood the etiquette that was expected of her, as well as the chain of command that they lived by. Her own father held a position of power, and that should have been enough. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Knowing that the world had all but forgotten about her, she couldn't blame the younger vampire for his impetuousness. The legend of her life was forgotten, a bedtime story told by all to keep their progeny in line. Her story was for another time. Right now, she just needed to focus on making it out of this event without any problems. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking the now filled wineglass, Sookie headed back to the booth where the vampire sat, now surrounded by the Rattrays. Setting his drink down, she frowned a moment at the conversations around her. The vampire was trying to get her attention, but Sookie just ignored him and went back to her other tables. She couldn't just let her regulars go without because of the vampire that had entered. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Bon Temps was not exactly the kind of place that you wanted to be abnormal in. She knew that. She was often thought of as crazy because of her gift. The only gift that anyone knew about, at any rate. It was enough. She didn't envy anyone that stuck out in a place like this and being the only one of their kind. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>As the night wore on, Sookie found herself getting tired. Tired of not just keeping up her walls, but tired of having to know that she was being stared at by a creepy vampire. He was trying to get to her, to figure something out about her. It wasn't that she was unused to it, she just didn't want to have to deal with it. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Finding a chance for a small break, Sookie found herself in the back of the bar at Sam's office. It wasn't soundproofed, but it would afford her some privacy in checking through her phone. No one knew that the young woman had a cellular phone. She had worked hard to hide a good many of her secrets. Digging through her bag and pulling out her phone, Sookie noticed the messages. She knew exactly who they were from, and she knew that she would need to keep her composure. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <span>My darling Sookie. The time has come. You have practiced for this.  You are ready. The vampire will arrive, and the plans will be laid in motion. You must take heart. Things will get better. For now, you must follow the vampire, this Compton, but do not get too close. Allow yourself to go to your Sheriff. He is needed for this, as is your father. Only together will you overcome the road ahead. Take heart, my darling granddaughter. The love you've been longing for shall be returned to you two-fold. The key players are waiting for the sign, for the secret words to be spoken. You know what they are, use them wisely. Now, get back to work and make sure that Compton doesn't hurt anyone with his patheticness. Seriously, why would anyone turn him into a vampire? </span>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The last part of the text was enough to make her giggle. It had been too long since she had done so, far too long. It wasn't the message itself that shocked Sookie, the woman knew far more than anyone ever actually acknowledged. It was the actual fact that the Ancient Pythoness knew how to use a cell phone. Sookie had often teased the elder vampire that the woman needed to get with the times. It was a teasing meant in fun but had been taken to heart. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Hearing Sam's call that she had better get to work, Sookie hid her phone away once more and slipped back out. She had only been gone scant minutes, but it was long enough for the vampire, and the Rattray's to disappear. Everything was moving fast, far faster than Sookie wanted to admit.  If he got himself drained, that wouldn't be her problem. Alright, so it actually would be in the form of her pissing off the Ancient Pythoness. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Steeling herself, Sookie knew that she was about to act like a loon to make this work. Pushing her way back through the bar, acting like the Crazy Sookie that everyone thought she was, she took off out the back towards the vampire. So maybe she could have moved a little faster, but it wouldn't matter in the end. She would save Bill Compton and then meet the Sheriff of Area Five. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <span>Oh joy.</span>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Slipping outside and looking around, Sookie was listening both with her mind and her ears. It wasn't hard to hear Denise over the sound of the nighttime animals. She was always loud, no matter where she was. It was only out of sheer luck that Sookie saw Jason's truck, still with the silver chain nestled inside. Such a boon in the current situation. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Sookie had no desire to truly face-off with the Rattray's, but there was no escaping it at the current time. Plans were in place, and she had to do her part. It mattered not that genuine fear might be lacing through her thoughts and actions. Fear that all of this would be for naught. That it would end with the True Death of those she loved with everything she had. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Reaching with the chain, Sookie hoped that her years of loafing about hadn't dulled her fighting ability. When she heard the solid smack of the chain across Mack's back, she barely fought back the vicious grin that wanted to spread. The sound echoing through the night, and forcing the nightlife to grow silent. Moving again, she stepped back enough that it looked like it might have been a fluke with the chain. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>For as messed up as Mack was while coming down from his V high, the man regained his footing quickly and reached for a knife from his boot. It was a small thing, but would still do damage if he managed to get close to her. A risk that Sookie wasn't quite sure she would take. She wasn't afraid that she'd get hurt or die. If anyone knew the true story of her life, they would realize how hard it would be to accomplish such a feat. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "You crazy bitch!" Mack yelled at Sookie as he moved in to attack. His thoughts rammed into her like a car crash, showing exactly what the man wanted to do to her if he ever managed to get his filthy, grimy hands upon her person.  She would not have that. No one but her father and her mate was allowed to touch her at all. She made sure of that. Chucking the chain, and using a small amount of the telekinesis, a power that was so weak in her right now that no one would notice it, Sookie watched as the chain wrapped and squeezed around Mack's neck. As he started to flail around, she did not dodge fast enough, and the knife sliced her arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Denise, finally noticing what was going on, had a few choice words for Sookie who gave just as good as she got. Finally, after a brief but rather boring verbal sparring match, Denise and Mack managed to flee the area and escape. With the two of them out of the way, the only other concern that Sookie had would be the vampire who was tied up. It wasn't like she didn't realize that this was all fake. For one thing, the chains binding him, while silver, were honestly too thin to hold a vampire of his age. They would need to be thicker. It was quite clear that Denise and Mack were only used to dealing with baby vampires. </span>
</p><p>
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    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She wondered, if only for a moment if Mr. Compton was a lot smarter than anyone understood. He was still trying to play this little game, and for now, she would let him win. Wrapping the thin silver chain around her neck, pretending that she thought it was deterrent enough to keep herself protected, she quickly assumed the role of naive Sookie Stackhouse, backwater waitress from the town of Bon Temps. She was hoping that with the introduction of this </span>
  <i>
    <span>person </span>
  </i>
  <span> into the town that it would trigger her introduction to the Sheriff. Oh, the fun that would be. Knowing exactly who ran the area, Sookie had chosen to steer clear of him until she had been given the all-clear. After all, they thought she was dead. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Moving to help the vampire sit up, Sookie demanded of him, "Push with your feet!" as if he was incapable of realizing that a car was careening their way. When the Rattray's in their beat-up car had finally passed, and he was finally leaning against a tree, the blonde moved away from him. Close enough that he would think she was curious but far enough away as to not give the wrong impression. What she really wanted to do was strangle the living daylights out of him and demand he return to wherever it was that he crawled from. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Touching him was the furthest thing from her mind, and she made that quite clear with her body language. Hearing nothing in the air around her, especially thoughts, Sookie decided that now was as good a time as any to try to pry into what this man was doing here. Bon Temps was not exactly the place vampires came to vacation in. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "I'm sorry I didn't get here faster," she pauses for a moment and tries to think about what to say. "You'll feel better in a minute, right? Do you want me to leave?" </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <span>Asshole. Talkative much are you? You're probably pissed off that you were saved by a woman and had to glamour those drainers into taking your blood. Yeah, I'm on to you, buddy. </span>
  </i>
</p><p>
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    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>People watching was a skill that Sookie had mastered quickly. Especially around strangers. It helped her gauge what people were truly saying almost as well as her telepathy did. Right now, she was quite certain that this vampire was either pissed off or a sneaky bastard. He was up to something, and she had a few good ideas about what it was. Regardless of what she had been told by the Ancient Pythoness, she was going to form her own judgment, and so far, he was not making a passing grade. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "They might come back, and I can't fight yet," he ground out, sounding for all the world like he actually meant it.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Sookie watched as the vampire tried to right himself and get everything squared away. Oh, he was good. Pretending to be hurt far more than he was. Yes, he had been drained, but in truth, it wasn't very much blood, nowhere near enough to warrant the way he was acting. Her warning that he was here to seek her out for her 'gift' was the only reason that she was playing along with this game and not hauling his ass directly to Shreveport. His tone clearly spoke of his contempt for women, something that Sookie was sure was all him without the vampire influence. </span>
</p><p>
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    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "Oh." Pausing a moment, Sookie let her blue-eyed gaze land on the dark one of the vampire in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t hear you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you!” he yelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Frowning, Sookie wanted to tell him that there was no need to shout. He was so stupid. She had just dropped a hint, but obviously, he would need a bit more coaxing to understand. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. No… I can hear you speak, but…" She paused a moment more before placing her hands on his face in a dramatic effect to try to get him to understand her words. Really did he need it spelled out as if she was a Light Bright? Would a flashing neon sign have helped, the arrow pointing to her with the words' telepath that way' decorating it? </span>
</p><p>
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    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the things that Sookie had learned in her long life was how to tell the age of a vampire by the void in her head. They had always been silent to her, a blessing she was more than happy to deal with. Bill's void was awfully tiny.  The two vampires that she knew had voices double, if not triple the size of Compton's. Then again, they were both ancient and mighty; and would be rightfully pissed when they realized that she was alive and had been hidden from them for one thousand years. </span>
</p><p>
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    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The conversation with Bill brought her back to herself, and she let out the appropriate amount of outrage at his words. His voice, though she had trouble focusing on it, had away at times of making her once again focus on the conversation. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aren’t you afraid to be alone with a hungry vampire?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "Are you assuming that since you came to my rescue that you're safe, that I harbor an ounce of sentimental feelings after all these years? Vampires often turn on those who trust them. We don't have human values, you know." </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <span>Bullshit!. My father would be the first to call you on that lie, Mr. Compton, but go ahead and continue pretending to think that I know nothing about vampires. It's going to be a fine day when my mate tears into you for this, with my father, watching. </span>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "A lot of humans turn on those who trust them, I'm not a total fool." Gripping the silver chain which she had wrapped around her neck a little tighter she was trying to give him the illusion that she thought the silver would keep her safe. It might against a baby vamp but any vampire over a century old would be able to bypass that tiny amount of silver with ease. He would be stupid to touch her though. If he survived the retribution, there would be the Tribunal. She wasn't so sure he would come out with the odds in his favor. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>This creep was watching her every move, and she was barely paying attention to his words, hoping they could end their useless banter soon. She wanted to go get some rest. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "But there's a rather juicy artery in your groin," He started to say before she let her temper get the better of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "Now you cut that out right now, mister. I won't stand for that." Her voice was tart, and she knew that even Adele, the wonderful human woman who had guided her for many years, would have been slightly amused. That woman never missed a beat on anything. It had been hard to present herself with the Southern Belle persona that she was currently sporting but necessary for her survival. Any other way would have spelled doom and death for all. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>While she might look blonde and stupid, Sookie was truly anything but. That artery was a favorite of a lot of vampires, especially for the purposes of their' fuck and feed' as many of them called it. Sookie knew without a doubt that only her mate would taste her from that artery, and Creepy McCreeperson was not him. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It was so easy to tune out this vampire, the words he spoke, rolling through her head like empty space, but Sookie knew that she needed to focus again. With that in mind, she focused her attention back to the words that he was trying to spew. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "Don't you talk dirty. I won't listen to that. When you talk to me, you'll talk to me like the lady I am." The voice that came from her held a fire that few got to see. It was clear that he would not win Sookie over with that kind of talk. The question was, did he have the gall to talk to her again like that. Oh, she had a few ideas of who would, and none of them would be the faux southern gentleman in front of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The longer she kept him talking, the more she hated every minute of it. This vampire didn't seem to be one that hadn't followed at least a modicum of the rules. He might not have been completely accurate in explaining why he was in the area, but he, more than likely, had checked in at least.  </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "Would you like to drink the blood they collected? It would be a way for me to show my gratitude. My blood is supposed to improve your sex life and your health" </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, she wished that she was recording this conversation. It would be great future material, not that her testimony alone wouldn't be sufficient enough cause to get Compton into a world of trouble. His oily voice was making her cringe, and she hoped they would be through with their conversation soon enough. He was starting to give her a headache. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "I'm healthy as a horse, and I have no sex life to speak of. You do what you want with it." </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could sell it”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The very notion that he could find a way to manipulate her like this did not sit well. Most humans would probably not have even bothered to think twice about such an idea. Then, he would have an in to blackmail them into doing his bidding. No, she was not going to fall for that, even if she truly knew nothing about the supernatural world and the importance of the blood. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t touch it. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You're different. What are you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "Well, I'm Sookie Stackhouse, and I'm a waitress. What's your name?" </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bill.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn't understand exactly why she burst out laughing. She'd already known his name in all honesty but the spontaneous reaction to hearing just how plainly he stated it was clear.  She had honestly hoped that he'd have some awesome name that would make people cower in fear, not the type of name that one might see on a Wheel of Names in a call center somewhere. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "The vampire Bill! I thought it might be Antoine, or Basil, or Langford! Bill!" </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It was so amusing to her that watching him glower at her laughter was worth it. Standing up, Sookie quickly said her goodbyes as she then headed towards her car. Sam would know that she was done for the night, and he would no doubt call her tomorrow. She and the shifter had come to an understanding. She didn't tell the world what he was, and he allowed her certain...allowances. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam Merlotte had been one of the few to realize that the stories about her were actually true. That she was more than just some fairy tale, and he had worked hard to protect her while she had been in Bon Temps. It was why she worked for him at this very moment and why he helped her take care of an aging Adele. When she had run out here to deal with this </span>
  <i>
    <span>problem  </span>
  </i>
  <span>he had thought directly to her and let her know to just head on home when she was done. Sam stopped questioning her actions regarding the supernatural a long time ago. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Climbing into the beat-up yellow car that she drove, Sookie headed away from the bar and out towards the farmhouse on Hummingbird Lane. Their neighbors were the Comptons, and she had no doubt that Bill was the proud, not so the new owner of a ramshackle farmhouse in desperate need of repair. What fantastic news, right? Not. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Pulling into the parking spot on the driveway, Sookie took a breath as she climbed out. The farmhouse had been her home for many years now, and she would have to give it all up soon enough. It wasn't that she wasn't ready, even Adele knew that she would not be around forever. It was the fact that she wished she had more time with such a wonderful woman. More time to remember what it was like to be human herself and not whatever this thing was that she was. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Normally, Adele would be waiting for her, but Sookie could hear the gentle breathing of the woman as she slept. Climbing up the stairs, Sookie quickly went about her routine of showering, changing, and slipping off to bed for the night. She would be in for a very unusual day tomorrow, followed by a surefire trip to Fangtasia that evening. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <span>It is time.</span>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Fangtasia or Disneyland?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>
    <span>It is time</span>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <span>Dreams are a funny thing. Sometimes they help you know exactly what you should do. Other times they simply lead you around their difficult paths expecting you to pick up the pieces and understand the game. No one has ever had normal dreams, Sookie knows this for certain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tonight's dreams were around a subject that she wished she could simply forget. It had been such a long time ago that she wondered if it mattered any more. Did it? The past that she’d worked so hard to have others forget about. It was such a horrible time in her life. One that, she had no doubt, she would live to regret even if it had not been her fault. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In truth, Sookie still felt like it was her fault no matter what the Ancient Pythoness said. When you go through something like that, it changes you, shifts your perceptions, and makes you wish that you hadn’t gone down that road. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been quite a while since Sookie had had this dream, or rather, memory. So long that she had almost forgotten that the events had happened. Why they were showing up now, she didn’t understand. Alright, so maybe she actually did. It was finally time to reunite with the two people who could help her. The two people who thought she was dead more than anyone else. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shifting in her sleep, turning her face towards her window and the direction of the stars, Sookie sighed again as the memories plagued her sleeping mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even the memories of her failed turning haunted her, but she knew it was meant to happen. Being born, Susannah had not been a hardship, but her life had been. Her birth was during a time when more people died than lived, a time of war and strife. It wasn’t like she could choose when she entered this world.  So she could only guess at what her true age was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a realm of people with dark looks she was a beacon that shone in the distance; her blonde hair shining for all to see. It was thought that she would be a gift to her parents, such a rare jewel as she was. Yet no one knew who she belonged to. The babe that was found in the swaddling clothes, lying in tall wheat stacks in the driving rain. It was a miracle that she had even survived. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone that knew her knew that there was something about her, something different. She’d been odd ever since she could talk. Always answering other’s thoughts and forgetting herself. In the times that she was born, that was sure to get her stoned. It was only due to the local seer that she was protected. Sookie hadn’t known at the time that the seer knew far more than what a normal human should. She was taken in by the woman that had turned her very father into what he was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was supposed to have been important that they only rekindle when she was old enough. Rather than getting to spend her formative years with her actual parents, Susannah was raised by the Ancient Pythoness until the age of twenty-five. It was the way things were meant to be. So was running into her father. So was the attack on the village that would put her at death’s door and force her to make a choice. A choice that would change the very fabric of the supernatural world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Most vampires took three nights before they rose, with or without a maker present. Sookie was different. She was rising the first night, but she wasn’t a vampire. No, she was something else. She had risen with her father standing there with his own maker, the woman who had raised her. Seeing both of them had been hard for Sookie, not knowing what to feel. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There had been a long talk where she had been introduced to her biological father, the child of the Ancient Pythoness. Conversations that had taken them several nights, Sookie sleeping during the day simply because there was nothing else for her to do.  After the discussions, there were goodbyes said, and Sookie spent the remainder of her life, up until a certain point, traveling with her father, the two of them working to balance each other out. Parts of him were a bit savage, and she was the sunshine that drew people into their world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been the two of them for such a long time. Then they were joined by a second. Her father’s second vampire child and her mate. At least he was supposed to be her mate, but she never got the chance to find out. They had been sleeping, dead for the day when she had been taken. The human traveling with two vampires. She would be the thing they could use to get the answers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or so they had thought. What had happened was a year-long nightmare that Sookie wished she could ignore. The scars still remained as a symbol of everything she had gone through, left as a reminder that she was not as durable as she thought she was. Easily bent and damaged but not broken. The blonde had, for a few scant days, though she was broken beyond repair, she had realized that she was still alive. That made her stronger, far more determined to get back to the ones that she loved. Yet, she couldn’t. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sookie had spent the rest of the years with her bonds shut off and dead. She had been unable to restore them and knew that they had thought she was dead, that they had moved on but never forgotten her. Now she was supposed to come back to them. To pop up in their lives after one thousand years and answer for why she’d been missing. The fact that it had been the rules of the woman that raised her didn’t matter. Not in the face of her fear. Sookie doubted that she would get the true answers. The Ancient Pythoness had her own reasons for doing things the way she had, dropping the smallest of hints but never actually telling the entire story. Not yet, anyway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was her fear of what she knew that she needed to do the coming night that was bringing on her nightmares. Sleep would not be her friend for quite a while, and she had no way to fight against it. This, she did know for sure. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Opening her eyes, and knowing that she couldn’t fight the fact that she wasn’t actually sleeping, the young woman sighed. She was in for a long road ahead of her. Not only did she have to explain what happened to her and why she was back, but she had to hope to hell, they would even listen to her. There was also the problem of Bill Compton and what he was doing in the area. Too many problems and Sookie hadn’t had the patience to deal with it all, not alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Climbing out of bed and glancing at the clock she kept there, she realized that she had slept most of the day away. It was worth it. At least she would have less time to fret about what she was going to say to the Viking and more time to focus on getting ready. To the world right now, she was Sookie Stackhouse. To a select few, she was someone else. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> retaking a quick shower to wash off the sweat from sleep, Sookie tried to regain her focus. She needed to think about this. There was a perfect chance that Bill would show up at Fangtasia tonight; he needed to publicly check in with the local sheriff. Running into him there, before she had the chance to talk to the Viking, would be disastrous at best. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was only so much that she could deal with and sighing, while not actually helping anything, made her feel a little better. Everything was about to change and not necessarily for the better. One of the pieces in her long life was about to fall into place, and when it did, the other would soon follow. While she might have been hidden away from them, she had been able to keep tabs on those she loved with the help of the woman who raised her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pausing to think over what to wear to Fangtasia, Sookie got lost in her own head. It wasn’t every day that she walked into a vampire bar like this one. Or that there was any close by. Shreveport was the closest one to her, to begin with. Not only that, but she had to walk into the lair of one of the oldest and most powerful vampires in the New World. She was walking into the realm of the known, but the world thought it would be the unknown, and she couldn’t actually let them think she was some weak woman. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her clothing choice was deliberate: The white dress with the sweetheart neckline and the little red flowers. Along with a matching pair of red shoes. Yes. Deliberate. She had heard that the Viking had a progeny of his own, but as she had never met the woman, she doubted that she would be noticed. Looking forever twenty-five had it’s perks, to an extent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her identity would be safe until she actually entered the establishment. Her smell alone would alert anyone within a one hundred foot radius that something was up. She wondered, however, if the Viking was anything like she remembered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Making her way down the stairs, Sookie frowned when she realized that Adele was not there. Her expected meeting wasn’t for a few days, so the woman had no idea where the older woman would be. Not that she could stop what was happening. She had to keep going forward. That was exactly what the note said on the kitchen table too. Adele’s handwriting scrawled across the paper as she told Sookie to go out and find her destiny. That it was time for her to do this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Locking up the house as she left, Sookie took one last look at the farmhouse, having no idea if she would return or not once events were set in motion. Everything that she needed, she had in her bag. Her driver's license and her phone. That was it. A little cash that she had saved while working for Merlotte’s but nothing much. Sookie was currently broke and living with a woman who had very little in the means of an income, so that didn’t make it easy to have a ton of things around. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sliding behind the wheel of her tiny yellow Civic, Sookie backed out of the drive to head out along Hummingbird Road and out onto the road that would take her to Shreveport. The entire while trying to calm herself and her errant thoughts. She needed to focus, but all she could think about at present were her nightmares and how badly things could go in a fraction of a second. So very badly, indeed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shreveport was not as far from Bon Temps as a lot of people thought, and those people probably had working radios in their car. Sookie’s entire drive was done in silence, allowing her time to try to come up with a game plan. Walking headlong into a place like Fangtasia was not for the faint of heart. She’d never been weak, but she honestly did not know if she dared to do what was needed. Could she face this challenge head-on? Or would she cower and hide and try to think of another way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can do this!” she told herself in the firmest voice she could muster, wincing slightly at the uncertainty that remained. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fear, no matter the root, was a great motivator to some. For Sookie, it was part of why she was so hesitant to do this. Fear of the unknown mostly. These people? She hadn’t seen them in over a thousand years, she had no idea exactly how they would react. Following them through stories and little news blurbs were one thing; being able to spend time with them and actually knowing their reactions to the situation was an entirely different ball game. One that Sookie was quite sure would be interesting, to the say the least. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After what seemed like an eternity, Sookie finally pulled into the parking lot that served Fangtasia. Her nerves were at an all-time high, and she was walking a razor’s edge with her ability to stay focused on the task at hand. Parking her car, and then wiping her sweaty palms on the seat of her car, hoping that it wasn’t noticeable, Sookie climbed out of her vehicle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Standing in the parking lot the young woman took a deep breath. </span>
  <i>
    <span>I can do this.</span>
  </i>
  <span> She thought to herself. She could, and she would. There was no questioning that. The line was already winding its way around the building, and for a moment hiding in the crowd seemed to like the thing to do. Maybe she could be with the part of the crowd that didn’t actually make it in that night. Would that excuse work? She doubted it would fly with anyone that knew the situation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With her car parked and no more excuses that she could think of, Sookie started the walk to the front door when a voice stopped her. She had honestly hoped that he wouldn’t show up that he would wait a few more days. Yet here he was, once again in the same place that she was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sookie?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes Bill?” she inquired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is a nice young woman like yourself doing at a place like this, and without an escort?” His question was both accusatory and cautionary. As if she should be ashamed for thinking of coming here but hoping she would see the error of her ways. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What I’m doing here is none of your business Bill. I’m here to meet someone, contact me if you will. Not that it matters.  I don’t need an escort, but since I doubt you will actually let me walk in there without one, let’s go.” Her tone was acrid. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sookie was far too old to stomp her foot like a child, but that was exactly what she wanted to do. That, and stick her tongue out at Bill. Where did he get off thinking he could do this? That he would be her knight in shining armor or anything of that sort of hogwash. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A gentleman always escorts a lady. You won’t be safe here. Please stick close to me and let me do the talking until we get to your contact.” His voice had changed. It lacked the same oily quality as before, but it was still enough to make her want to gag and run away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sookie saw one advantage of going into the club with Bill. She could bypass the line. Going in on the arm of a vampire was a sure-fire way to skyrocket past the waiting line. So she nodded, reluctantly, and started walking beside him. She refused to let him touch her in any way. That was just wrong on so many levels. The nearness of him now made her skin crawl. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they approached the door, she once again took a deep breath, steeling her nerves. Given her history, this would rattle anyone, but it had to be done. Standing in the doorway of Fangtasia was a blonde. Tall, busty, and one that oozed power. Clearly a vampire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ID please” the blonde said in a tone of sheer boredom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sookie doubted that she’d enjoy door duty either and wondered, in a way, if this was a punishment or if there was a reason this particular vampire was guarding the door. Handing over her license, she made the required amount of small talk as she waited to see if she would be let in. What didn’t surprise Sookie in the least was that the woman seemed to know Bill. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was quite clear that there would be no pleasantries exchanged between the two. From Pam’s tone and attitude, it sounded as if she hadn’t bought Bill’s mainstreaming lie either. Who would? It was utter bullcrap. She’d yet to hear about a vampire that could live solely off of that synthetic blood. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sookie smiled when she was finally allowed to enter into the club. Not that she had any doubt she would. Her name on her license read Sookie Stackhouse, but that was not the one she had handed Pam. It only looked like it from afar. The one-handed to Pam was the one that showed her true name and her true age. It also listed her maker, a name that many vampires feared. It was why she was allowed in, even with Bill following. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Moving to the bar, hoping to avoid Bill for longer, Sookie sighed when he followed her, trying to convince her that this place wasn’t safe for her. Not that she cared honestly. She had chosen to come here. Fangtasia was like Disney World if vampires ran it. It didn’t bother her. It was flashy and showy and perfect for that sub-culture of the human world. She had no desire to be a part of that, she was past looking at it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bartender, whose name she only learned due to Bill’s big mouth, handed her the drink she had ordered, and she felt him push his glamor. Smiling a fake smile up at him, Sookie turned away and scanned the bar. One obstacle down, with Bill yammering in her ear. Did he not already understand that she knew what she was doing? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first, Sookie was sure that she had missed the body lounging on the throne, but then how could she? His long golden hair hung in exactly the same way it had when she’d last seen him, curled up by his side with her father on the other. His arctic blue eyes still held the same emotions that she was quite sure he had pushed down into the very depths of his soul. Those same arctic eyes that she remembered in her dreams were now staring right at her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman from the door was standing behind him, whispering something in his ear, but he didn’t need the information. He would know who she was on sight. As soon as their eyes met, the same electric shock that she had felt such a long time ago was back. Her bond with him was still dead and would remain so until they exchanged blood. She could not change that. The magic had forced it to be that way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Noticed him did you?” Bill’s voice broke into her staring contest with Eric. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Turning slightly to acknowledge Bill and hearing the growl from Eric, all the way to where she was, Sookie smirked a bit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, yeah.  I mean, he’s sitting on a freaking throne. Who is he?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wanted to kick herself for the act, but to tip, her hand right now would be disastrous. No, Sookie needed to pretend a little longer. She wanted to get Bill close to Eric before he realized who she was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s Eric. He’s the oldest thing in this bar, and it looks like he’s summoning us.” </span>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <span>Actually Beehl, he’s not the oldest thing in this bar. </span>
  </i>
  <span>Sooke thought but couldn’t let herself actually say. Instead, she set her drink down on the nearest table and walked with a confident stride to the Viking sitting on his throne. Why was she not surprised at all? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bill Compton. How’s that mainstreaming working out for you?” the lilted voice of Eric broke through Sookie, and she almost sighed in pleasure. It had been far too long since she had heard him. The accent of his people still fresh as the day he was turned and yet had become much more refined over the years. He sounded more American because to survive meant that one must adapt over time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither person really paid much attention to Bill’s posturing, their eyes locked on each other in a silent battle of wills. Sookie knew that she had to do something that she had never done but to him once before, and her father. It was a sign that she was who he thought she was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kneeling before Eric was the first step, her words the second. Sookie knew that there was no other way. She could hear the gasps of the vampires around her as she knelt at the feet of their sheriff, as Bill stared at her as if she was crazy. No human ever bowed the way she was at the feet of the Viking, and they certainly didn’t speak in his dialect by happenstance. Not backwoods humans like her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>”Jag, Susannah av huset av Gallien, dotter till döds själv, gör härmed lovar mitt eviga lojalitet till den för hus Nord Man. Till min kompis. Min beskyddare. Min kärlek. Må han ta av mitt blod och få veta sanningen om mina ord. (I, Susannah of the house of Gaul, daughter to Death himself, do hereby pledge my undying loyalty to that of the house of the North Man. To my mate. My protector. My love. May he take of my blood and know the truth of my words.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keeping herself in the kneeling position she offered her wrist to the Viking, it was all she could do from where she was. This was a test. Either he would remember those words that she spoke not too long after his rising or he would ignore her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What she didn’t expect was to find herself being lifted off the ground and settled onto his lap, his nose nuzzling her neck, scenting her as he spoke. It was in his language at first, but all of the vampires around knew that she was special. That there was something about her that stood out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Min kärlek, jag har saknat dig alla dessa år. Ingen kompis till mig kommer att knäböja vid mina fötter. Nej hon kommer att sitta på min tron eller vid min sida hela tiden. (My love, I have missed you all these years. No mate of mine will kneel at my feet. No, she will sit upon my throne or by my side at all times.)”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The near quiet gasp from Pam told her that the woman understood the situation. Watching for a moment, Sookie was shocked to see Pam bow to her before dropping a smile and then vamping off to do something around the bar. The other vampires had inclined their heads to her, but they had not made a move. Not until Eric said something officially. They would, however, protect her from the vampire that was now currently making a spectacle of himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell is going on here? I demand to know what is going on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Turning her gaze upon Compton, Sookie spoke, in English this time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think you truly do need to know Beehl. I will enlighten you, however, so that you can leave us. I am Eric’s.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was all she was going to say on the subject. She couldn’t feel the emotions of her Viking, but she wanted to. So badly did she want too. She needed too. They were around too many humans, but she had no doubt that when they were alone, the questions would come. Right now, she was simply waiting to see what Eric’s next move was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area 5, Louisiana was her mate, and she knew that now that he had seen her, and once tasted her blood, he would not be the only one there for her.  She was about to open such a large can of worms that it would take the three most powerful people in the New World to fix it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bill continued his stream of complaining and arguing until Eric had had enough. With a growl, he had stood, deposited Sookie onto his throne, and summoned Pam to take Bill to the basement. They would talk later. It was time to close the club, and no one questioned that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Pam returned upstairs, after securing Bill downstairs, the three of them left the dais and headed to Eric’s office. It was time for Sookie to give information, but the question became, how much did she give? Standing in front of the closed office door, the blonde gulped and once again tried to steady her nerves. So far, Eric had taken all of this well. She had no idea the inner struggle that he was having or the fact that he had already called for her father to make it to his side posthaste. No that would come later after they had been convinced she was who she claimed to be.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Conversations With Dead People</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was now or never. Fangtasia had been closed for the night, and Sookie was safely ensconced in Eric’s office. Bill was hanging from chains in the basement, more than likely. Questions and answers were needed, but she wasn’t sure what she could and couldn’t say. Her entire life from the time she had been taken until this point in time had been carefully orchestrated by the Ancient Pythoness. She had worked hard to make Sookie aware of the consequences of revealing too much information too soon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling the chill in the air of the office, knowing that part of it was Eric’s icy glare at her and Pam’s loyalty to protect her Maker, Sookie sighed. This was harder than she had hoped it would be. After all, she had been thought dead for over a thousand years. Her Viking barely had a chance to know her, his mate, before she had been taken from him. Not knowing what else to say or do, Sookie wondered if continuing their conversation in Swedish was the best. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Being a sheriff did not grant anyone special immunity from the stupidity of kings and queens. While she didn’t know if Eric would have warranted having his office bugged for any reason, she wasn’t going to take that chance. Of the vampires that she knew, 3 spoke Swedish and two Old Norse. It was safe to say either of those languages would have been beneficial to her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Min kärlek, it really is me. I swear by the oath the Ancient Pythoness made me take that I am alive and standing in front of you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wanted to shake him and tell him that he knew what to do to challenge her claims. All it would take was blood. Her blood on his lips would be enough for him to know everything that had happened. Yet she doubted that he’d be willing to share his blood with her. Blood was sacred. That was something her father had taught her. While she was human and couldn’t make vampires, she understood the nature of sharing blood. It was supposed to be done rarely and for specific purposes. That is how her father taught her... </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look just like her: Like the woman I loved all those years ago, the one who was taken from me. Knulla! You even smell like her.” Eric’s tone showed his confusion. He’d seen this woman enter his club and make her way to him. She’d bowed before him and spoken in his native tongue of a promise, a loyalty. Blood will come out, of course. He would be a fool not to act on this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Realizing that she wasn’t going to get anywhere by just standing around, Sookie did the one thing she thought she would never do again. Picking up a letter opener from Eric’s desk, one that was very sharp, she sliced her wrist. Either he would let her bleed to death, or he would partake and understand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The scent of fae blood rending the air was enough to snap Eric’s control. It wasn’t just the fae blood, but he was quite sure that he was smelling the blood of his mate again. A smell that he’d only had once or twice before she went missing. A smell that had been burned into his memory for a thousand years. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The more Eric stared at Sookie, the more curiosity he could feel from his bond with his Maker. Their bonds to Sookie had been gone for many years, and he knew that if she truly was who she claimed, then only with a blood bond would they be burst wide open again. He wondered if it was time. time for them to find out how Susannah had been taken from them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her blood was calling to him, and Eric couldn’t fight it. Pulling the blonde woman into his arms and sinking his fangs into the wrist that was bleeding, he let the flavor of her blood flow over his tongue. Oh, he hadn’t tasted her in such a long while. The truth was there in the blood, showing him everything that had happened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he’d taken enough to ascertain that she was who she claimed she was, Eric pulled back and paused for a moment before presenting her with his bloody wrist. They were bonding again, Pam was their witness. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t had an almost permanent bond before. This would be the second of three. He needed this, they both needed this. The bond and then answers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Sookie pulled away, both of their wrists closing, she sagged a moment. It had been far too long since both had connected on that level, and she’d felt a bond. She would need to do a blood exchange with her father to have their bonds renewed, but starting with her mate seemed like the right move. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a moment of gathering herself, Sookie turned to look at Eric. She knew that the Viking could be hard and unforgiving, but at the same time, to those he loved, he loved so deeply he could be extremely loving and giving; she could see it in his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Answers, yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before she could start their conversation, Sookie was picked up and placed on Eric’s lap on the couch in his office. Pam was leaning against his desk. Both were curious; she could feel it. Her bond with Eric was singing with happiness and insecurity, and she could feel Pam as an extension of Eric. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This wasn’t exactly the type of conversation that one should have in the back office of Fangtasia, but it needed to be said. There were things, matters at hand, that needed to be addressed, and Sookie knew that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pam. I understand that all of this must be a shock to you, especially with me being human. I don’t mean to intrude on the relationship that you have with Eric. I know what the bond is like between Maker and child, but I also know the bond between mates.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do not worry, Mistress. I am not upset. Eric has told me of you, but we all thought you were dead.” Pam’s voice was soft and gentle. While most humans were beneath her, there was something about this one that she liked. She’d been told the stories by Eric and Godric both about the human who meant so much to them. That human was sitting there, in her Maker’s lap now, one thousand years after she disappeared. It was hard to believe, but she could feel in her bond with Eric's belief in who the woman was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was more than happy to know that her mistress was back. Pam might seem like a cold bitch at times, but she really did care for both Eric and Godric. They were her blood, her family, and they had protected her. She was just curious about the whole situation with this woman, whom she knew as Susannah. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, everyone knows me now as Sookie. Sookie Stackhouse. I dropped Susannah a while ago. Even Father didn’t really call me that unless I was in trouble. The world thinks I’m a simple barmaid from Bon Temps. Those closest to me now know that I’m telepathic. I’ve always been like this, and no Eric, it hasn’t gotten any better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She frowned for a moment. Sookie had been warned by the two people that had helped keep her secret that her telepathy would only get better with her mate and father around. Yet she never understood why she was taken from them in the first place only to be reunited a thousand years later. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t tell you much, not until </span>
  <i>
    <span>he</span>
  </i>
  <span> is here with us. Partly because if I do, I’m quite certain the Ancient Pythoness would hurt me, granddaughter, or not. She has a plan, and we have to stick to it, or else everything is going to be much worse. Final Death worse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To say that Sookie was both scared and nervous would be an understatement. Her emotions were flittering between elation at finally renewing her bond with Eric and trepidation at explaining a lot of what was going on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling calm pushed towards her, Sookie took a breath and tried to focus. Walking a razor’s edge between what she knew and could say versus what she wanted to say was hard. She had no idea what was going to happen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I’ll start by telling you some things that you need to know about your own area. Bon Temps has some drainers, and there’s a serial killer on the loose. I don’t know who he or she is, but I can give you the information on the drainers. In fact, Bill allowed himself to get drained by them. I don’t know if he’s just stupid or if he was hoping to try to get his blood into me. I really don’t know. I can’t read vampire minds. I just know that he shouldn’t be in the area. There’s no reason for it unless it is to find out about me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pausing a moment to let that sink in, Sookie heard the growl from both Eric and Pam. It seemed as if neither was willing to let anything happen to her. She personally did not know Bill Compton, but she had an idea based upon her interaction with him that he was an idiot. Idiots were the worst. Much worse than spoiled brats. Idiots often didn’t know they were the problem and therefore became even more of a pain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll find out more tomorrow. Pam has a way of getting the information that we need. After all, I taught her everything I know.” Eric’s voice was confident and warm. Pride was clear in his tone when he spoke of Pam and her talents. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sookie could feel his pride through their bond too. Oh, how she wished that she could have that kind of bond with someone. That Maker/Child bond, but she’d never been able to turn anyone. Being human all this time, well, it was a curse, really. She used to have a very close bond with her father and with Eric, and both of those were gone now. It was going to take work to get them back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please understand that there’s only so much that I can tell you, partly because I don’t know everything. We both know how the AP works and how things are. Father has to know certain things too. Which reminds me, we need to go see him. Where has he been lately?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eric wondered for a moment if they hadn’t told Sookie anything. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knew where her father was, but if she acted like she didn’t, it wouldn’t hurt so much. Being so close to them and yet not being able to make a move until Compton made his own was the hard part. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dallas. I’ve already requested that he come to us, but we may need to go to him. Let me send him a message.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eric grabbed his phone from his pocket and checked for messages. He had expected that Godric would be on his way, but the note stated otherwise. Apparently, there was some issue with the FOTS, and he couldn’t leave, but they were welcome to come to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was set then, Eric and Sookie would go to Dallas the next evening and Pam would stay behind to watch their guest and the bar. Not that she minded. Someone had to stay behind and watch things. Pam had actually volunteered, so it wouldn’t be such an odd situation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leaning her head on Eric’s chest, Sookie yawned. She honestly was tired. The emotions of what she’d been through were getting to her. She felt as if she’d been crying for hours, and it was enough to make her yawn even more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come, min kärlek. Let’s get you to bed. Dawn is approaching. We can discuss what happened tomorrow after we get to Dallas.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, Eric stood with Sookie in his arms and vamped out of the bar; Pam would lock up. Taking to the air, Eric had no intention of letting her go back to Bon Temps tonight. No, he would take her to his resting place. It was easier and closer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trip took only minutes and soon enough they were both tucked away inside one of his larger estates. The security locks clicked into place almost as soon as he went through the doors. They were cutting it close, time-wise. Sookie was already asleep in his arms as Eric carried her to his room and dressed her for bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>All he really did was strip her of her clothing and shoes and place her in one of his tanks before sliding her under the covers. He stripped and joined her. Given his age, he would be able to stay up past dawn, but not for long. He didn’t like to anyway. Getting the bleeds were not pleasant for any vampire, no matter their age.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he allowed himself to slip into downtime before his day death took him, Eric contemplated what to do. He needed to be prepared for Godric’s reaction. Both had lost someone very special to them, and things were about to change. He wasn’t sure if it was for the better yet. Only time would tell. He did know that he had ten centuries of practice to protect the blond that was in his bed. He had been young and weak the first time she had been taken. It would be the last time. He wasn’t young, and he sure as hell wasn’t weak. No, they would fight harder to protect her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was still the nagging feeling that something was missing in the scheme of things.</span>
  <span> What he couldn’t understand was why his Maker’s Maker would do this. Why would she get involved like this? It didn’t make any sense. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eric wasn’t entirely stupid to the fact that there were power plays involved. Sophie Anne had made many enemies since Katrina. She was running the state into the ground, and there were constant rumors of possible takeovers. The only thing stopping anyone was the fact that Eric was the oldest vampire in the state. No one was sure which side he would be on in the skirmish. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d been the sole reason that most of the people hadn’t tried to take her out. After all, many didn’t want to have him as an underling or force him out of his role as sheriff. Eric Northman, as sheriff, was a good thing for the state. He did not want to be king. The paperwork was too much, and he refused to relocate to New Orleans: He was happy in Shreveport. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leaning over to watch Sookie for a moment, Eric couldn’t believe that she was there. In his bed, in his arms. Alive. When they had seen the amount of blood left from where she had been held and their bonds being fizzled out, he was positive that she was dead. Yet here she was, still alive and human after ten centuries. He knew the story that there had been a human turned and something went wrong. How Sookie was supposed to be a vampire, but the essential spark that they hadn’t known about had kept her human. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was immortal, just like they were. She could be killed, just like her father and her mate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sookie was just </span>
  <b>more</b>
  <span> in away. Sookie was a daywalker. She could be out in the sun, and if she truly allowed it, her fangs would come down. He’d seen them before. He wondered if she still needed blood like she used too. Was human food enough? If she did need blood, would donor blood do? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were so many things about her that he knew she used to need that he wondered how she survived without until now.</span>
  <span> He wondered if the Ancient Pythoness</span>
  <span> had something to do with it, but he would have to wait to find out how. They would be going to Dallas upon waking, and Sookie would have to explain what happened then. At least she would only have to explain things once. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When day death finally took Eric, he knew that unless something was seriously wrong, he would not wake until two hours before sunset. At his age, he was able to rise much sooner than most vampires. He would use that time to plan their trip, and then, when it was finally dark, they would depart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sookie hadn’t really slept well the last few nights, so the exhaustion of it all had caught up with her. Exhaustion didn’t seem to care that she had nightmares every time she closed her eyes. Nope, that was one thing she’d never told anyone. Not even those she considered friends now. They didn’t need to know that she really could not sleep more than a few hours at a time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something strange was happening to her this time. It was like she was having a nightmare, but there was something there to protect her. Sookie had heard that there were rare times when a mate or Maker couldn’t be there, and a blood tie with them could work to protect the one they loved. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vampires that understood the blood could force it to do many things. Eric was dead for the day, and yet she found herself in a warm cocoon. As if he was holding her both in the blood and in his arms. The nightmares abated for the first time in months. It was a strange sensation, really, being able to sleep. It was that feeling of safety that helped her realize that despite everything she’d been through, there were still people that would protect her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letting her body relax even more into sleep, Sookie snuggled into Eric as much as she could. With him being dead for the day, it would make it hard to shift positions, especially if he was holding her tightly. It wasn’t that she cared. Her brain was silent, there were no thoughts around to bother her, nothing to disturb her rest. It was perhaps one of the best days’ sleep she’d had in a good long while.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Dallas Bound</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I’m not a fan of the author’s notes but I needed to make a disclaimer. I don’t speak Swedish, German or very much Gaelic. So the languages you see are from Google Translate. If they are wrong it is because I speak less than formal and it may not have translated correctly.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The sounds of a body moving around in the room woke Sookie from her slumber enough that her body jerked awake. She had forgotten, for a moment, where she was. This was not her room at the farmhouse. The sheets below her were far too silky to be anything that she or Adele could have afforded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letting her eyes adjust to the darkness of the room, Sookie’s thoughts started to filter through her brain. She understood what was happening now. This was Eric’s room. She was at his house, and they would be going to Dallas upon their awakening that evening. Turning her head to the right, she noticed the clock that was on the bedside table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bright red numbers showed her the time. It was just past six in the evening. Early enough that she didn’t expect Eric to be awake but still two hours before sunset was supposed to start. As she started to move in the bed, she saw Eric’s face as his eyes watched her movements. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning, </span>
  <span>Min kärlek. I see you slept well. Come, we must get ready and get to the airport.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His voice was soft and gentle as he tried to coax his soon-to-be-lover out of bed again. From the way she had slept like the dead, he had assumed that she had not been very rested where she was living. Being able to hear the thoughts of humans was not easy to turn off. He doubted that she could fight it in her sleep. Not when she was surrounded by so many of them. Here she would hear nothing but blissful silence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did. I was beside my mate, where I belong, and there was silence. So very blissfully silent. I can’t explain how it feels to have craved this for centuries.” Sookie’s voice trailed off as she spoke. She was not looking to make Eric feel bad. That was the furthest thing from her mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eric moved to sit down on the bed by Sookie and stroked her face. He could tell that she was holding something back, and he wanted none of that. She was his mate, his other half, and she should not hide anything from him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it love?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In the time that I’ve been away from you and father, I have slept a collective total of one hundred hours. Little naps here and there are what have sustained me. More often than not, the dreams of the humans around me would influence my dreams, and once again, I’d be back in that nightmare that was my life when you all thought I was dead.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eric could see the pain in her eyes, and he wanted so badly to rip every single one of them to pieces for making her even have an ounce of pain. He had no idea what she had gone through, but it had been bad. Bad enough that even her father had thought she was dead. He would not push her for answers now, but when they got to Dallas, she would have to give them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I understand love. Let’s get up. We have things to do, and we need to be in Dallas by first dark.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Some of the things that Sookie had learned while in the presence of the Ancient Pythoness again was the fact that the older the vampire was, the earlier they could rise. Godric was already able to rise much earlier than Eric when he had first turned the Viking. Then again, Godric was already one thousand years old at the time. She had little doubt that her Viking would be able to do the same. It wasn’t just his age; he came from a powerful bloodline. The Gaul line created powerful vampires that much their world did understand. With power came certain abilities. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sookie sighed as she lifted herself from the bed. Standing on wobbly legs for a moment, she thought she was going to fall, but she did not. Moving from the bed towards the bathroom, she knew that if she did not get into the shower soon, they would not make it to Dallas on time; Sookie did not want them to be late to be her fault. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With her person safely ensconced in the bathroom and the door shut, Sookie took a deep breath. All she had done with Eric so far was a blood exchange, and she already felt on edge. It would be stupid for her to forget that he could feel her emotions. He was more than likely smirking at the fact that she was aroused just from looking at him but now was not the time to delve into </span>
  <i>
    <span>that</span>
  </i>
  <span> part of their relationship. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Standing under the warm water, she allowed it to beat out the tiredness from her muscles and relax her. When her body was clean, and her head was clear, Sookie exited the shower to find that there was a warmed towel waiting for her along with some clothing. All of her things were back in Bon Temps, and she couldn’t wear what she wore to the club again. It needed to be cleaned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Muttering to herself about high handed vampires Sookie dried herself off and dressed. Of course, they would fit her perfectly. Why wouldn’t they? What she wanted to know was how long he had been up to get these before they had to leave. It was clear they were not here waiting for her. Or were they? They had been left alone for a little while that night. He might have sent Pam to get the clothing. Whatever the case, they were clearly her size. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After she was satisfied with her appearance Sookie exited the bathroom and stepped into the bedroom. Eric was leaning against the doorframe leading into the hall, looking anything but the dangerous sheriff she knew he was. His long, lean legs were encased in a pair of black denim pants, and his black tank was covered by a black leather jacket. The only thing that would look better on him would be if he cut his hair. While she didn’t mind the long hair, running her hands through it, she wanted to see a new side of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The expression on his face seemed to be one of boredom, but through their link, she could sense a small amount of uneasiness and tension. He was always ready. Always ready to spring into action and protect those he valued. His bored expression was classic, more than likely born out of not being able to join her in the shower. That or he just wanted to get to Dallas and get this over with already. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m ready to go. You don’t have to look like a lost puppy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her voice was a little harsh, but she was not in the mood to deal with brooding vampires. Sookie was nervous enough with the fact that they were going to Dallas. That they were going to meet </span>
  <i>
    <span>him </span>
  </i>
  <span>and though she knew he loved her she was still scared. Terrified really. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking the hand that Eric held out to her, Sookie allowed him to pull her from the room and walk them through the house and back out. Thankfully the area where most of the cars were parked was covered. Why he felt the need to have an underground garage on his home she didn’t know.  He had already packed her bags and knew that she would be coming home with more clothing from Dallas. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The car that was waiting on them was running as he helped Sookie climb in the back seat. It would take them to the airport, and from there, they would board an Anubis Airlines flight to Dallas. It shouldn’t take more than three hours at max, but Eric didn’t want to fly the other way yet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence filled the car as they made their way to the airport. Sookie honestly had no idea what she should say or do. This was new territory for her. Yes, she had been to the city before, but she was reunited with at least one half of herself, and they were on the way to meet with the other. It was a heady feeling to know that she was going to get to reunite with the last person that she loved. Finally. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Airplanes were not something that the blonde often rode in. She had tried to avoid them, truth be told. While she may not have a weakness to the sun, she just avoided them for the windows. She did not want to look out and see just how high up in the sky she was. So the very fact that the plane she was boarding had no windows, except for the cockpit area was oddly comforting. She would not have to worry about looking out and feeling the oddness of being thirty thousand feet in the air. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Closing her eyes, Sookie leaned back in the car as she waited for the ride. Soon enough, they would be in the air and on their way to Dallas. It never failed, though, how some of the businesses dealing with vampires treated the vampires far better than human companions. Sookie was not stupid enough to think that the humans and Supes who ran the airline and catered to the passengers would know the difference between pets and Mates since a mating was such a rare phenomenon in the vampire world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were three types of bonds in the vampire world. Blood bond, Mate bond, and Maker/Child bond. She had all three, or she did before everything went sideways. None of them were completely active. Her Maker/Child bond was long dead, and it would take blood to fix it. Her mate bond had never been finalized nor had her blood bond. In fact, she was one more exchange away from completing a true blood bond with Eric. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mate bonding was so rare that even she was not sure of all the details. Not that she hadn’t tried to find out. As far as Sookie was aware, only two people in the world had knowledge about the mate bonds. The Ancient Pythoness and the vampire they were flying to Dallas to see. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not realizing that she had drifted off to sleep, she awoke when she felt herself being picked up and carried. Eric was so incredibly gentle with her that she almost started to cry. She did not deserve his tenderness, but she did yearn for it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Settling them both on the plane as it taxied along the runway, Sookie gripped the armrests of her seat. She hated flying. Her ears always popped, and she felt odd up here in a plane like this. People weren’t meant to fly. Not even a thousand-year-old Viking Vampire. Yet they did. She cringed as she tried to snuggle into Eric, hoping that he would find a way to keep the pain at bay. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even though Dallas was not that far from Shreveport, the ride in the plane felt like it took several hours. Sookie was bored and nervous, and the quiet of the plane only served to make it harder for her. The longer she had to think about things, the more nervous and agitated she became. It was sad, honestly. It wasn’t like she was being led to her execution, they were just going to meet with her father. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soon enough, the plane landed and taxied down the runway at DFW International Airport. Why they didn’t use a smaller private landing, she did not know, but Eric had assured her that they would be able to blend right in with the people milling around. Sookie was honestly too scared to argue the point. She had never been to Dallas, so she had to trust the judgment of her Viking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no fanfare or any sort of extravagance waiting for them as they left the plane. It made Sookie happy. She was not in the mood to deal with anything of that nature. Instead, they had someone waiting for them with a sign. Making their way over to their driver, Eric nodded at the man, and Sookie did her part. She was trying to not read people’s thoughts, but it was hard in a new city to know who to trust; this man was one that they could. </span>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <span>I’m rather surprised he has a Were working for him. Most tend to avoid vampires at all costs. This is new.</span>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <span>Her thoughts were her own as they climbed into the black SUV with their bags and left the airport for the house on the outskirts of town. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dallas was a mixture of the rich, the poor and everything in between. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Most vampires had plenty of money. Not only did strength increase with age, so did one’s financial situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Take Eric for instance. He was more than a millennium in age, so he was strong and well respected by his peers, and he had had plenty of time to make his fortune many times over. His business sense was second only to his Maker’s. He had been raised as a human to be smart about his dealings with their neighbors and Godric had only reinforced what he already knew when he was turned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Godric taught him then how to survive and how to get what they needed to blend in. Then, as the times changed they learned together how to get what they needed. Now, with Sookie back with the three of them could learn together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were going to probably the best neighborhood in Dallas; up where the mini-mansions dotted the horizon. No one would question them given how much money this particular vampire had accumulated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trip from the airport took about two hours. Dallas traffic was notorious for being one of the worst, especially on the highways. It should not have taken that long, but when you have collisions and slow vehicles, fender benders, and gawkers, it tends to slow things down. A lot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally they arrived at the gated driveway of the house they were going to. Their driver entered the security code, and they were through the gate and pulling up the driveway. Eric seemed to be a vibrating ball of energy. Whether it was nerves or something else she couldn’t tell. Mostly she was just petrified. She had not seen </span>
  <b>
    <i>him</i>
  </b>
  <span> in close to a millennium; they had much to discuss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Approaching the door they were both expecting to have to knock, but instead, the door was opened by a tall severe-looking yet, attractive Spanish vampire. Her eyes were warm, and her smile was brilliant at seeing Eric. Sookie was unsure who this vampire was, but it was clear she was someone that the sheriff trusted. After all, they could not afford to have people in their nests that they did not trust. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eric, it’s so good to see you again. Let me get your things and take them to your room. He’s in his office waiting for you,” came the greeting from the vampire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eric leaned down to place a quick kiss on Isobel’s cheek. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s good to see you again too, Isobel. He knew we were coming, but I did not expect that he would make you stay. You don’t need too if you do not wish it.” Eric’s voice was soft. Very few people got to see the kinder, gentler side of the Viking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shh darling. It’s not a worry. I want to be here to ensure that  Miss Sookie has a good time. She should not be uncomfortable around strange vampires. Besides, Stan is supposed to be here in a few hours, and we felt it best if I was a buffer of sorts,” came the laughing reply. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sookie, having no idea what to make of the conversation, stood quietly by Eric’s side as they were led into the house. The moment she crossed the threshold, she had no doubt that this was her father’s home. Everything about it screamed, Godric. From the simple touches to the wood choices. It almost made her laugh. You could get old and powerful, but sometimes the desire for the simplicity in one’s surroundings never changed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sookie felt her hand being tugged by Eric as he walked them to the office. Knocking once and waiting for permission to enter, he tried to send her reassuring feelings. Their bond was weak right now but would grow with time. Still, she appreciated the gesture more than he would realize. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That voice almost made Sookie freeze; she had not heard it in so long. It was taking everything she had not to burst into tears. Oh, how she had missed her father's voice. One of the few voices that could calm her fears. He could also fight away from her nightmares and fears with just a hug. That was the connection that she had missed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hiding behind Eric, Sookie watched as the Viking opened the office door and entered. Sookie was trying to remain hidden, but she knew it would be almost impossible. Her smell alone would alert any supernaturals in the office to her presence. Anyone that had any sort of knowledge of her would be able to physically see and feel her nervousness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Master.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How many times, min son, do I have to remind you that you need not call me Master anymore?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only every time we speak, Master.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both could hear the vampire audibly sigh as if he was exasperated with his child, but they both knew he was not. The fact that Eric still chose to call his maker Master was a sign of respect. Even if he had been released, he would have still called him Master. Eric was thankful, however, that his master had never released him. He liked having that close bond with his maker. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Turning to face his progeny, the young-looking vampire smiled with love at his most glorious accomplishment. He was trying to discern the odd scent that he smelt and the human heartbeat he heard hiding behind the bulk of his Viking progeny. Eric had made it clear that the reason for his odd behavior would be explained when he had been bidden to come to Dallas. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Since he was over two thousand years old, and had attempted to turn her, Godric knew that scent. He would know it anywhere. He just did not want to believe what he was smelling. It had been just over one thousand years since he had last smelled it, and felt the source of it burn out in his bonds. He hoped that this was not some sick joke and that he was instead dying of some odd disease that made vampires senile in the end. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Godric decided that he would test the occupants of his room. He could smell the nervousness of the human, and it only made her scent all that more identifiable. He could also hear her heartbeat. If she truly was who he thought she was, then what he said next would be more than enough proof. Her answers would tell him everything he needed to know. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Min son, en ser du tog en besökare. Det är min förhoppning att man tror hon är den hon är. Säg mig, kan hon förstå oss?” (My son, I see you brought a visitor. It is my hope that she is who I thinks she is. Tell me, can she understand us?)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letting out a huffy breath Sooke did not understand why they wanted to talk about her as if she was not there. Yes, she understood him, and it looked like she might very well have to prove who she was. Stepping out from behind Eric, she glared at her father before she spoke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ja, 1 förstår du bara bra gubbe. Om du vill tala enskilt kanske använda ett språk 1 inte förstår?” (Yes, I understand you just fine old man. If you want to speak privately perhaps use a language I don't understand?)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Watching Godric crack a smile, she waited to see his reaction. Knowing Swedish was not going to be enough of a test. Any true time spent around Pam or Eric would have granted her enough to speak it. Old Norse too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wie wäre es damit?” (How about this?) One of the other languages that he knew his son knew as well was German. It didn’t always sound the same with Eric, nor he spoke it. Their accents sometimes making the words sound a little off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Halten Sie versuchen, alte Mann.” (Keep trying, old man). Sookie’s reply in German was enough to make them understand that she knew this language as well. It was not one that Godric would have been able to teach her before she departed from them, but one she would have learned had she been with them in Germany during the war. She was not about to tell them where she learned it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cad mar gheall ar anois?” (What about now?) The familiar Gaelic lilt to his voice almost made her break down in tears. The accent he spoke in was enough to take her back to that time. Gaulish and Gaelic, were two that he had taught both her and Eric before everything happened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sighing Sookie looked down for a moment. She knew all the languages that Godric knew because the Ancient Pythoness had taught them to her. When she left the care of her mate and father over one thousand years ago, the primary languages they used to communicate were Gaulish and Old Norse. Now there were so many derivations that it made her head hurt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trying something new, Sookie moved closer to Godric. Oh, how she had missed her father. Tears streamed down her face. The term Old Man had always been an endearment where some might find it an insult. She had absolutely no doubt that Eric understood every single thing that she was about to tell her father. She just hoped that he would be the rock she needed if Godric rejected her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kneeling in front of her father, in the most submissive pose that she could muster, tears flowing freely the blonde allowed her words to speak from the heart. Either he would believe her or he would not. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mo athair, a bheith a líonadh le mo bhrionglóidí bheith fada do airm timpeall orm. De comforting dom arís mar a tharla codlata dom. De wiping gciin mo Tears mar a rinne tú nuair a bhí I ach beagán amháin. Tá mo chroí briste gach nóiméad de gach lá nach raibh i láthair tú féin nó an Lochlannach I. Níorbh fhéidir I a insint duit cad a tharla agus roimh an I Bhí a fhios fiú go raibh sé i bhfad ró-mhall. Bhí ar athraíodh a ionad tú ar. Le do thoil, grá dom mar a d'úsáid tú chun. Iontaobhas i dom, deoch de dom agus a bheith ciallmhar i an tuiscint ar ár sinsear.” (My father, long have my dreams been filled with having your arms around me. Of comforting me again as sleep took me. Of wiping away, my tears as you did when I was but a little one. My heart has broken every moment of every day that I was not in the presence of yourself or the Viking. I could not tell you what happened, and before I even knew it was far too late. You had moved on. Please, love me as you used to. Trust in me, drink of me and be wise in the understanding of our ancestors.) </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had said it. Poured her heart out into words, she knew they both understood. Sookie was offering Godric the same right that she had offered Eric. They were the only ones that were allowed her blood. It was their right as her maker and mate. Now she just had to see if he would take her offer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Having been gone so long, Sookie had no doubt that Godric would more than likely consider her a fraud. Then again, only a small handful of people even knew he truly had a daughter, one that he had tried and failed to turn into a vampire. Her words should not shock him. Godric had always been an understanding vampire, but her fears were still there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling a hand being placed on her shoulder and a kiss placed in her hair, Sookie raised her head up to look at Godric.  His face was gentle and filled with love and compassion. Still, her heart was not sure that she was seeing what she was seeing. This was her father, a man she loved beyond all reason, and he believed her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Helping Sookie to her feet, Godric leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. He would explain how he knew she was who she said she was without having to take the blood. He would take the blood, of course. It would only rekindle the bond they had, and he would be one hundred percent sure then. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mo iníon ní mór dúinn i bhfad a phlé. Lig dúinn a fháil ar an malartú fola os cionn le agus ansin beidh muid go leor le comhrá fada.. (My daughter we have much to discuss. Let us get the blood exchange over with and then we will have quite a long conversation.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite it all, Godric was gentle as he sank his fangs into the wrist of the blonde woman. The moment her blood hit his tongue, he knew she was his daughter. She was his Susannah. His Sookie. Oh, how he longed to know what happened to her. Pulling away a moment to bite his wrist so that she could taste his blood as well, Godric pulled on her blood twice more before he sealed the wound. The moment that Sookie ingested his blood, she felt her bond open wide. It was amazing to have this feeling again, both of the vampires circling around in her head and her heart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sookie sagged a moment as she let the rush of the blood move through her. They had so much to discuss, and she was tired. They still had quite a long night ahead of them, however. Before anything more could be said, a soft knock sounded on Godric’s office door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes Isobel?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have prepared a room for Eric and Sookie. I will be going now. Is there anything you need before I lock the house down?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No that will be all, thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sookie blinked a moment, a clear sign that she was about to zone out completely. They needed to have this conversation before too long. The sooner, the better right? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come, my office is not comfortable enough to have this conversation in. Let’s go to the sitting room.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sookie turned and wiped at her eyes as she took Eric’s proffered hand. Her Viking knew exactly where they were going and did not need to look to know that his maker was following them. He was giddy but hiding it. They were reunited. The three of them. Only, it couldn’t last, could it? He was in Louisiana under the queen, and Godric worked here in Dallas. Both were sheriffs and very powerful. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So far the easy part had been done. The two men that she loved more than anything were back in her life, and now she had to tell them why she had been taken from them and been gone for so long. This was where the true test came in. War was coming, a war in which she had no idea who the survivors would be. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde was looking around the house trying to memorize the path to the den. She hoped that she would not get lost in Godric’s nest. It was large, just like Eric’s house. So much larger and nicer than what she had been in with the farmhouse or any other place that she had lived. There was a jealous part of Sookie. She had spent the last thousand years with barely anything, and her father and mate had money; lots of money. She wished in a way that she could have had something, but it was not a part of the plan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When all three of them were in the den, Sookie took a seat as far away from both vampires as possible. She did not want to be near them if they grew angry about what she was going to spoke of. There were only so many things that wouldn’t set them off, and she was more than sure that what she was going to tell them would do so. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sooke. This room is soundproofed. No one will be able to hear you. If they did, they would have to be as old as either Eric or myself, and none here are quite that old,” her father said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Biting her lip a moment, Sookie paused when her cell phone dinged. Of all the times for her to get another text message, now was not when she would have planned for it to happen. Pulling it out of her pocket to the surprise of Eric, she noted that she had another text message from the AP. The message was clear. <em>Tell them everything.</em> She would, but she was still very nervous. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Biting her lip some more she tried to figure out where to start. They knew that there was a beginning for this story, that much didn’t need to be discussed. At least she hoped it didn’t. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There is a lot to discuss. I would like to ask that you try not to say anything until I’m done, but I cannot stop you if you were to speak. I’ve not really told anyone this story. Only one person knows what happened outside of myself, and well that it is because the woman knows everything.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They knew that pausing in between her words wasn’t for dramatic effect. Sookie really was struggling to find the right words. Even thinking about each event was hard for her. So many painful memories, and they hadn’t been there to help her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know that since my turning I’ve been different. I’ve been this human-vampire hybrid freak. Only a handful of people know my talents and the truth about me. That I am immortal. I learned that the hard way, papa.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leaning her head back against the seat, Sookie closed her eyes. Every word that she was about to say was not meant to have them hate her but to get them to understand everything she went through. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was taken during the day, for a reason. The group of people that took me was vampire hunters, in a way. They had seen me with you at night but also out during the day, and they wanted to study me. I was human from what they could tell, but they did not understand why I was so attached to monsters. I still have not figured out how they managed to get past the protections we had in place at the time.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence still, and she knew that she had their attention. She was unsure what she needed to divulge. It had been shared with her, a thought the Ancient Pythoness had, that when she reunited with her father and mate again that her telepathic power would also become a projection power of sorts; the ability to show others what she could see. Rather than them being able to hear the thoughts, they would see them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The only problem was that she had no idea if it worked with vampires. She doubted that it did. They had always been voids to her, blank spaces in her mind that allowed her the freedom to finally have her own thoughts. It was this peace that she had so desperately missed in her life.  It was also the thing that was making it hard for her right now. She wanted to just bask in their quiet; instead she had to tell them this story. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed, “I don’t remember much of the first few days I was there. I did know that I was bloody, and I hurt everywhere. More than likely, I was drugged because I could barely think, let alone talk. Mixing the right herbs would more than make a human drugged out of their mind. Anyone who’s studied even the smallest amount of herbalism or magic will know this fact. It is something they were well adept at. It also aided in covering their tracks.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Biting her lip, Sookie knew exactly what happened to her. She was just trying to fool the bond into thinking that she didn’t. Maybe if they didn’t ask, she wouldn’t be forced to relive every painful detail. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My daughter, why are you keeping secrets. We’ve been over this before. Secrets are not good for you.” Godric’s voice broke through her musings. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Biting her lip, Sookie turned her gaze on her father. She expected a look of anger at her hiding things, not one of concern and adoration. Her bonds were being filled with love, calm, and the urge to be honest. They could not help her if they did not know the truth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t remember the first three days I was there. It took my body that long to adjust to the poison, they were giving me. I don’t know what they did to make you think I was dead, to sever our ties. They would never tell me, and in my countless years of research, I never found out. I just knew that they were severed, that neither of you would be coming for me. It was a hard realization to deal with. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When I first woke up, I was bleeding. They had apparently thought it would be interesting to carve into me. Words, symbols, whatever they felt like at the time. When they realized that I was awake, their leader decided it would be fun to make me aware of what they intended. See, I was a science project for them. I was a human, yet I willingly consorted with vampires. They wanted to know if there was something about me that could be used to weaken you. They did not understand our connection, our love. They never will.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Could she do this? Could she tell them that she was not innocent? That she had not been for so long because of these things. Would they still want her? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At first their ‘torture’ was nothing. Weak things that I could have survived, that you taught me to survive, papa. When I would not give them the answers they wanted, they amped it up. From carving into me to rape and torture. I had almost all of my bones broken at one time or another. I do remember being out of my mind with the pain. There were days, or maybe even weeks where I blacked out completely, and there was no telling what they did to me then. What I do remember was the day of my rescue and how neither of you was there.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no hatred in her voice, only pain. Of the two people that meant the world to her, neither had managed to be there when she was taken from that place. If they thought she was dead, it would have made sense for them to not be there. It was what she had been told. Eric and Godric thought that she was dead, and it was too late to come to find her. Did they even want to find a body? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When I opened my eyes there were vampires around me. Ones that I did not know, but I could tell by their voids that they were old. There was one that I did know, and through her, I knew the others were no threat to me. They were there to aide me to rescue me. I did not know at first that it was the Ancient Pythoness herself that would come to rescue me. How could she not save one of her bloodlines? Our bloodline has always been fiercely protective of each other, yes? The fact that she came herself and did not just send her people meant more than anyone will possibly understand. It was like a signal to me that one day, everything would be alright again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the name of Godric’s maker, she could feel anger and confusion in her bond. Both of her vampires understood that there were only certain things that she could tell them. Pythia might have been the Oracle, but knowing the future was dangerous. If she had told them what was going to befall them, they would have changed the course of the future, and she could not allow that. It had taken Sookie years to come to terms with this fact. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leaning her head back against the seat, unable to hide the tears that fell, Sookie just hoped that they would get their emotions under control in the bond. It was hard enough for her to fight her own emotions without having to compete with those from three thousand combined years of the vampires. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know as well as I that the AP cannot tell us very much. She apologized to me for not seeing what happened to me until too late. I was a void to her, and she said that she worked for over a year to find out why I suddenly vanished from her visions. Whatever made you think I was dead blocked her as well. Our bonds, they were burned out and would require blood to revive. She was able to get some magic and see me again. It was the easiest part of the ordeal. I spent a decade slowly healing from everything that had happened to me. She was there, by my side. I learned to grow up more. I know it doesn’t sound like it, but it’s true. I’ve matured a lot since being around her.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I wanted to know if you moved on and knew that I could not come back to you until a specific time in the future. She had seen it. There would be a vampire that would enter my life, to change the course of the future once more. A vampire who was working with those that had started this a millennia ago. He would be the signal I needed to find the Viking and the Gaul. To reunite with my family. I just did not know it would take a thousand years to do so.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling a cold hand on her cheek, Sookie leaned her head forward to stare into the arctic blue eyes of her mate. Eric was always so good at hiding his feelings. Through their small bond, she could feel his love, fierce determination to destroy everyone that hurt her in such a way, and the overwhelming desire to keep her safe and by his side. The fact that her bond with Godric spoke of much the same confused her. She had half expected them to blame her for this. That if she had just risen normally, she would not have had to go through any of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Inga fler tårar min kärlek. (No more tears my love)”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling her tears being wiped away, Sookie could not break her gaze with Eric. She was so afraid that if she looked away, he would disappear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understand the nature of my maker's ways, my daughter. She failed to mention that when you rose, you would not be a normal vampire. Or vampire at all, really. Instead, you are this hybrid creature that requires the blood of our bloodline, and sometimes human blood to survive. How did you get to Louisiana, Sookie?” Godric’s voice held a tone she could not identify, and for a moment, it worried her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was with the AP for almost two hundred years. The first decade, as I said healing and learning, The latter part spent studying the laws, religions, and anything I could get my hands on as they related to the Fae and the Vampires. I was studying prophecies with her, as well. Then she bid me leave and told me to travel. Which I  did. I went back to Sweden and was there for as long as I could stay before people started asking questions. I mostly traveled to various countries in the thousand years we’ve been apart. Up until about 5 years ago.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sookie still remembered that day all too well. The phone call had not been unexpected, but the information had been. For the first time in a while, Sookie had been content. Not happy, not really, but content. She could survive without the guilt of what happened. Until she was told that she was to move close to her mate but not to contact him, that the day was fast approaching where she would reclaim her life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was in  France. Normandy. When I got a call. </span>
  <i>
    <span>She </span>
  </i>
  <span>told me that time was drawing close to being able to reunite with my family. That together, we would change the vampire world for the better. That I needed to move to a state called Louisiana in America. She set up my contact with Adele Hale-Stackhouse in a tiny little town called Bon Temps. At first, I didn’t know it was in Eric’s sheriffdom until I started snooping around. I was so close, but I couldn’t alert him to my presence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The town had no vampires yet, so I was safe. Adele knows who and what I am, and she cares for me. A grandmother in a way that the Ancient Pythoness could never be.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a sigh, Sookie tried to shove away from her tiredness. It was getting late, or early depending on how one looked at it, and they all needed rest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have all the details. I know that something is coming and it started with Compton. His arrival in Bon Temps was not by chance. It was why I went to Eric, to have him reclaim the bond, and to you to reclaim ours. We need to be together to face what is to come. I don’t know what it is, I just know it ties back somehow to those that took me from you all those years ago. If they win, again, there will be no coming back this time. It will be death, true death, for me and all vampires.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her voice started to falter in the end as fatigue and anxiety took over. Sookie tried to remain composed, but it was hard. So very hard indeed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a sudden surge of anger and a desperate need to protect that ran through the bond, and both blondes turned to look at Godric. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They come for you, they die. I will protect what is mine. I was young then, I’m not now. Together we will face the challenge. Come. Let us rest now. Dawn grows near.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that one statement, he stood up and vamped out of the room, leaving Eric to scoop Sookie into his arms and run them to the room they would be sharing. She was asleep before he even set her down on the bed. Emotional exhaustion taking a toll on her far more than anything else had. </span>
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  <span>With the knowledge that Sookie was safe here in Godric’s nest, Eric quickly changed both of them and slid into bed beside her. He would rest.</span>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. T.E.M.P.O</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sookie was an anomaly in the supernatural world. She was not human, but she was not undead. She was merely immortal. From the moment she had risen, her world had been filled with different expectations and danger. She knew to expect this, seeing that her father was Child Death, and her mate and lover was the Companion of Death. She was the daughter of Death. It was the thing of legends. Yet she could not be who she was meant to be. Not yet at least.</p><p>To indeed be the woman she was meant to be Sookie needed both vampires at her side. In her time with the Ancient Pythoness, she had learned many things. Including bits and pieces of prophecies, she was a part of. Nothing that would alter them, but something for her to be on the lookout for. That would tell her she was ready or that the time was right.</p><p>The first of these events had been the arrival of Bill Compton back to Bon Temps. Sookie had known why he had come. She had let it slip just enough that she was telepathic. The world thought she was human, entirely human only with a little quirk. If the right people knew what to listen for, they would have heard that tidbit and taken it with them. Which they seemed to have done so.</p><p>Sophie-Anne no doubt would want Eric out of the way to get the telepath. The only problem with that was that the spoiled child queen had no idea just whose wrath she would provoke doing so. Sookie wanted to be there when she was taken down a peg or two, but neither of her vampires was ready for that.</p><p>Sighing, the young woman realized that it was midday. She had slept much longer than anticipated. Godric, not knowing she was coming, had no human food in the nest. It was not a problem. She would go out for a bite to eat and return.</p><p>Finding a notepad by the phone, Sookie left a quick note that stated she was in search of sustenance and that she would return. She also jotted down the exact time it was when she was leaving this message. In this regard, they would know how long she had been gone. The young woman hoped to return before they awoke for the evening.</p><p>Grabbing her purse and her cell phone, Sookie headed outside the nest. She did not have a car here, and most of Godric's drivers were vampires. Having no way to get ahold of his dayman, the telepath simply walked. Godric's nest was not that far from an area of town that had diners, coffee shops and other types of stores.</p><p>Sookie was not looking for anything elaborate or complicated to eat. Simple and quick. Those were her requirements. Yet, she found herself stopping at the coffee shop. There was something about it. Maybe it was the bright, vibrant colors or the fact they jokingly called it 'The Witch's Brew' that made her step inside.</p><p>Places like this did not always have a lot of items on the menu that would appease an appetite, but it was simple enough that she would not mind spending Eric's money on it. Or her father's. Quaint was the only word she could use to describe the inside. Sookie felt as if she had walked into a book almost. Like the scene, she was seeing were pages that told every story about a witch in the books. From Maleficent to Glenda. It was fascinating.</p><p>After ordering a plain coffee and a blueberry muffin, Sookie found a seat in the corner to enjoy her snack. The telepath had forgotten to put her shields back up. Whenever she was around vampires, she did not have to worry so much. Their minds were voids, and it was quiet. The peace that she hadn't felt in forever.</p><p>Bits of conversations flitted through her mind, one that she mainly takes note of. Sookie knows that being a telepath is rare, so hearing talk about an organization that joins other telepaths together to form a community piqued her interest. So made the conversation that someone thought they recognized her as the supposed telepath from Bon Temps.</p><p>
  <em>What do I have a label on my forehead or something?</em>
</p><p> Sookie's dining experience was interrupted by someone joining her at her table. Looking up, she spotted a lovely redhead and smiled. She could hear the woman's thoughts, primarily since they were directed to her individually. It was a little abrasive and abrupt, but she was willing to hear this out.</p><p> "Hello there! You look new here. Welcome to our little gathering place. Oh, it's alright I know you're special like most of us are. Oh where are my manners, my name is Tippy." came the overly enthusiastic voice that had joined her.</p><p>Sookie wanted to deny that she was special, but if this person could hear her thoughts, they would know. She tried to school her features, but it was not working. Every other idea was about returning home to her vampires.</p><p> "Hello, Tippy. I'm not all that new around here. At least not to the city. It's nice to meet you." </p><p>What else was she supposed to say? The woman was a little crazy for her liking.</p><p> "Well, I've come over here to invite you to join our little shindig. We call ourselves T.E.M.P.O or Tempo. You're just like us, so you will fit in fine. Us special humans have to stick together against the vampires, right?" </p><p>Sookie had a card handed to her. It was a simple business card with companies information on it.</p><p>
  <strong>T.E.M.P.O</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>Telepaths &amp; Empaths for Mental Progression Organization</strong>
  <br/>
</p><p>That was all there was. Sookie was honestly shocked that there was such an organization, and she felt a little uneasy by the thoughts bombarding her head. Tippy seemed to hate vampires almost as much as the Fellowship of the Sun did.</p><p> "If you say so. I don't find vampires to be that bad. Some of them are really nice." With that being said, Sookie stood up from her seat, threw away her trash and headed back out to the sidewalk.</p><p>Getting away from these people was her first priority. Once back at the nest, she would figure out the rest of it. As she was walking, Sookie was trying to rebuild her shields, and it was working, but she was also distracted.</p><p>The walk should not have taken very long, but Sookie never made it back to the nest. As she crossed into the neighborhood just next to Godric's, she was snatched off the street. Literally.</p><p>A dark van drove up, and three people grabbed her and hauled her inside of it before driving off. Sookie fought of course until her head came in contact with the metal hard enough to knock her out.</p><p>When she woke, Sookie found herself strapped to a metal chair with handcuffs and leather straps. Sookie's head throbbed from a headache, and her focus was lacking at the current moment. Blinking several times to try to clear her head, Sookie could only make out shapes at the moment.</p><p>Thoughts bombarded her from all sides telling her that wherever she was, there were humans and non-vampires around. There was no precise current of thought that she could pick up on, and that worried her. If they were all thinking so many different things then how was she supposed to plan her escape?</p><p>When her vision finally cleared, Sookie realized that she was not alone in the room. Standing before her was none other than Tippy.</p><p> "I'm sorry we had to bring you into the fold like this, but we fear for your mental health. We know you're a telepath Sookie, but how can you support vampires? They are evil and dangerous and they hold no regard for humans. Can you imagine what they would do to us if they found out about us?" </p><p>Sooke was in shock a moment as she tried to contemplate what was happening. She had been kidnapped because she felt that not every vampire was evil.</p><p> "I know what two specific ones are going to do if you don't let me go right now?" </p><p>Tippy snorted at that.</p><p> "You might be buxom and blonde, but I doubt you have anything going for you that would make a vampire want to aid you. At least not like the rest of us. No, you're staying right here for now." </p><p>Before she could say much more, Sookie felt a prick in her skin. Jerking to the side, she noticed another member of the group had snuck up on her while she was busy with Tippy. She was starting to feel her eyes droop, and her body becomes lethargic. Sending the last minute panicked plea to her vampires to save her, Sookie succumbed to the darkness.</p>
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